These pumpkin oatmeal bars are high in protein and low in sugar. Moist and packed with the flavors of fall, enjoy them as a delicious no fuss breakfast or snack! There's also a secret ingredient to supercharge the nutrition.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars
Fall season is upon us and that means all things pumpkin!
There truly is no limit when it comes to using canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree! Here's a collection of healthy pumpkin recipes that will make your life easier and more delicious.
These healthy pumpkin bars are not only soft, moist, and delicious, they are packed with nutrition - made with whole grain oats, packed with healthy fats from flaxseeds, sweetened by applesauce, and spiced with warm, cozy flavors.
But here's the hidden gem, lentils that give these bars an extra boost of protein and iron.
All this to say, these bars make an ideal breakfast or snack for babies and toddlers, and they're perfect for tucking into school lunchboxes or as an afternoon snack at school.
And if you're looking for more pumpkin breakfast ideas, try this pumpkin pie oatmeal or pumpkin chia pudding!
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Ingredients
- Rolled oats - While you can purchase oat flour, making it at home is so easy and much cheaper! You can also use quick oats.
- Pumpkin - you can use homemade or canned pumpkin puree. If using the latter, be sure it is NOT pumpkin pie filling which contains sugar.
- Ground flaxseeds - A great source of healthy fats, protein, iron, zinc, and fiber.
- Red lentils - One of the top foods to serve to babies as they're a great source of iron, fiber, and protein. There's no need to pre-soak.
- Milk - use whole fat cow's milk as babies and toddlers need all the fat for proper brain development. You can substitute with non-dairy alternatives, like almond or coconut milk.
- Pumpkin spice - used to bring warm flavors to these bars. It's easy to make homemade pumpkin pie pice at home or you can grab one from the store.
- Cinnamon - although it's included in the pumpkin pie spice, I encourage you to add extra!
- Unsweetened applesauce - Use store-bought or homemade applesauce. You can also substitute with equal amounts of mashed banana. If you desire a sweeter treat, see suggestions below.
- Chocolate chips - Add a touch of indulgence and complement the hearty and slightly nutty taste of these pumpkin oatmeal bars. Leave out for babies under 2.
- Pecans - I just love the combination of pumpkin and pecans. Be sure to finely chop for babies. You can substitute with walnuts if you prefer, or leave out completely.
Step by Step Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground oats, spices, baking powder, and ground flaxseeds.
- Add cooked lentils, pumpkin, milk, applesauce, and vanilla into a food processor/blender and process until smooth.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold in pecans.
- Pour batter into a 9 inch square pan (lined with parchment paper).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool before slicing!
How to Make This Pumpkin Oatmeal Bar Recipe Sweeter
I highly suggest trying this recipe as is the first time around. My baby absolutely loves these and so does my toddler. You can always top with mashed or pureed fruit, date syrup, or drizzle some pure maple syrup (best to avoid added sugars until 2 years of age).
I will be honest and tell you, my husband not so much. But when I add extra sweeteners, he's all in. Here are my suggestions if you want to sweeten these up. Add either:
- 4-5 medjool dates (be sure to soak in hot water to help soften before blending)
- 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey (NOT for babies under 1 yo)
- â…“-1/2 cup of chocolate chips
Tips for Success
- I recommend cooking the lentils ahead of time so it's one less thing to do the day of. You can also cook up a large batch and enjoy throughout the week! It keeps in the fridge for 5-7 days and freezes well, too.
- Also ground a large batch of flax seeds (I like to use this tool) and keep in the fridge/freezer to extend shelf-life.
- Bake ahead of time, if possible! These pumpkin oat bars actually taste better with time as the warm spices become more pronounced and all the flavors meld together. You can't really taste all those yummy fall flavors right out of the oven. So if able, I suggest making this at least several hours prior to enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
These pumpkin oatmeal bars are so versatile! It really is a good base recipe that you can enjoy as is or top with your favorite toppings. Here are some suggestions:
- Yogurt
- Cream cheese frosting
- Mashed or pureed fruit - like banana, blueberries, and apples
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Sunflower seed butter
Storage Suggestions
Transfer to an airtight container and keep in fridge for up to 5 days. The texture will become more dense so rather than eating straight from the fridge, I suggest bringing to room temperature or reheating briefly in the microwave (30 seconds or so) or the toaster oven.
You can also freeze for up to 3 months.I like to use the same method as for freezing muffins. That way, you can easily pull out however many you need.
Thaw in the fridge and bring to room temperature. If you want to reheat, again, do so briefly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats to ensure they haven't been processed in the same facility with gluten-containing grains.
Yes! Â I used flaxseeds because so many of you have been requesting egg-free recipes. However, if there's no egg allergy, I do recommend replacing with 1 egg as the bars will be more moist.
Simply leave out the flaxseeds and add the eggs to the blender along with the other wet ingredients.
Other Pumpkin Recipes to try
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry red lentils, (95g uncooked, 200g cooked and weighed after cooled)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups (200g) rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 1 cup (230g) canned pumpkin
- 1 cup whole fat milk
- ½ cup (110g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- â…“ cup (40g) finely chopped pecans (optional)
- â…“-1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Add lentils and water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal. Set aside.
- Pulse the oats in a food processor/blender until it turns into flour. Pour into a large bowl and combine with pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, and ground flaxseeds.
- Add cooled lentils, pumpkin, milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract into the food processor/blender and process until smooth.
- Pour into the bowl with the oatmeal mixture. Do not overmix. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips if using.
- Pour the batter into baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes until the center is set and the inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow for it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. COOL COMPLETELY before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Transfer to an airtight container and keep in fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature or reheat briefly in the microwave (30 seconds or so). It's delicious cold too!
- Freeze for up to 3 months
Lynn Hartnett says
Love the versatile recipe for my finicky 14 month old visiting grandbaby!!! I doubled the recipe and froze them into bars for easy to pack snacks and meals. The flavor was loved by her. And by omitting the chocolate chips, we could also mash it into fruit and yogurt. Thank you!!!
Moh says
I tried the recipes as is for the first time (no chocolate chips) and I found it was a little bland and more mush than fluffy texture.. I personally didn’t really liked it but my toddler loved it. I froze most of it for him to eat later and he loved it as much the second time around. 🙂
Jo says
Can I substitute red lentils with green lentils?
Min says
I wouldn't for this recipe!
Milly says
You mention you can leave the lentils out- what would you replace them with? Looking forward to trying! Thanks!
Min says
Oh! That was supposed to be for the chocolate chips. If you'd like to leave out the lentils, I would try swapping with additional 1/2 cup oats
Skyler says
Can I use regular lentils instead of red lentils
Min says
I would stick with red lentils for this one!
Aleksandra B says
My kids are not adventorous eaters. So I replaced the pumpkin with banana in this recipe and it's been a life saver for quick snack/ frozen to breakfast option, my kids love it! Thanks, Min!
Min says
So happy to hear that! You're welcome!
Elizabeth says
We've got a nut allergy here, any thoughts on a substitute for the pecans? Can I leave them out? Replace with something like hemp hearts? Thanks!
Min says
Yes you can totally leave them out no need to replace with anything but you can certainly add some hemp hearts if you wish!
Me says
Is there a substitute for the whole fat milk? We don't do dairy well here.
Min says
You can use any non-dairy alternative
Kim says
Absolutely delicious. I love your recipes 🥰. I purchased all your books. I highly recommend them. Thank you so much.
Min says
Aww thank you so much! Means a lot to me!
Ashley says
The whole family loved this recipe! I made a double batch and froze some (but not as much as I thought, due to all of us eating it). My husband is not a fan of "healthy" (ugh), so I made a cream cheese frosting for his. I like eating mine with a little bit of peanut butter. Our little guy really enjoys eating it plain with no additions or sweeteners! For the nuts, I did finely ground walnuts and pecans. For the milk, I used 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 3/4 cup soy milk....a weird combination, but it's what I had on hand. Finally, because I doubled the recipe, I used 2 tbsp of flaxseeds and 1 egg. A bit of a hodgepodge recipe after I finished with it, but it turned out delightfully!
Min says
You are so resourceful! I'm so glad the whole family enjoyed this. Thank you for taking the time to share!